I didn’t think it was possible for Home to reach new lows, but here we are. Last month, I wrote about how unsatisfying Kargo’s death was and how it made zero sense. I wasn’t the only one who felt similar sentiments and wrote about them. Clearly, as an author Kique wanted a character he disliked to be gone and forgotten. The problem is that Kargo, while divisive at times, is still a very much beloved character by readers. At the very least, I thought as a character who was introduced via concept sketches while Asmundr was still in production he would have a proper funeral in Home. Once again, I was so very wrong.
First, Kargo died without any meaningful last words while Roamer angrily chased Ranach away. Next, his body is wrapped up (off-screen) and put on a funeral pyre. At this point in the story it would have been a perfect time for Ferah, Roamer, Rogio and even a few Meteor Tribe members to eulogize Kargo.
Kargo has always put Ferah’s well-being and safety above his own needs. He killed his own father, brother, and even temporarily parted ways with Roamer for her. Even when he had PSTD and killed two dogs getting them banished from the Midnightgarde Tribe, his first concern was not for himself, but for Ferah. As a friend with a sibling-like bond, he’s always gone above and beyond for her. Surely, she’d have something meaningful to say, especially since he sacrificed himself for her while being stabbed to death by Ranach. In true Home fashion, none of those feelings were expressed. She ran away from the funeral and the Meteor Tribe with tears in her eyes. Ferah couldn’t even stand strong and say goodbye to her best friend.
Perhaps Roamer would have something meaningful to share? Kargo saved his life numerous times and kept the Asmundr pack safe by sharing knowledge of Aedra. Kargo didn’t have to do any of these things for Roamer. Before Kique decided that Roamer would be a better fit for Rogio as a lover, he was madly in love with Kargo. They had patched up many of the sore feelings between them upon reuniting at the Meteor Tribe. He felt so strongly about Kargo’s death that he chased Ranach and swore to kill the former jarl. Yet, when it came time to say something Ronja suddenly goes into labor and Roamer just lights up the funeral pyre without uttering a single word.
You probably get where I’m going with this affair. Despite being saved by Kargo and betraying him twice, Rogio had nothing to say either. The tribe who thanks to Kargo’s actions, were effectively set from Ranach also didn’t offer up any goodbyes. The most anyone did for Kargo besides burning his body was to erect a tombstone with a very brief epitaph. In a bad case of “all there in the manual,” Kique states in the comments and on the official Wiki that Kargo had once asked what he should do with his strength and in saving Ferah had found his answer. This was clearly made up on the spot– as nowhere in Home at any time did Kargo ponder what to do with his immense strength. He used it to protect his loved ones without question.
Ronja suddenly going into labor and giving birth to puppies was a convenient distraction. “Kargo just died in a fight he shouldn’t have lost, but hey here are three cute puppies!” Sadly, this distraction seems to have worked, as the comments section of Home’s public site mostly talked about the puppies. Kargo had largely been forgotten.
Compared to other deaths in the story, this all feels so unfair to such a monumental character who’s past and present actions played a huge role in the early plot.
What really makes Kargo’s lack of a proper sendoff hurt is that other secondary and tertiary characters had meaningful funerals and speeches dedicated to them. Jonna, Fuss, and Arenak come to mind. While Jonna had a pathetic off-screen death, she at last had a fitting funeral along with Fuss. Arenak had an entire ceremony dedicated to him. You could argue that off-screen Arenak had a larger role in the overall plot of Home (he was the driving force behind many characters’ actions). However, I can’t state enough how important Kargo was to the story, right up until his breakup with Roamer at Midnightgarde. (In hindsight this is where Home’s plot ground to a halt and the story began to unravel.)
The only main character not to receive a proper funeral was Zilas (who wasn’t a main character at all). Ironically, his tombstone sits right next to Kargo’s. In Kique’s world, the only remembrance primary character receive are tombstones, while less important characters are fondly eulogized and remembered in-story.
At least Kargo will no longer be dragged through the mud for no good reason by an author who decided to hate a character he once loved.
2 comments Home – Kargo Gone and Forgotten
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To be perfectly fair, I did not want another 2-3 pages monologue about how awesome Kargo was. I wanted to punch Ronja in the face with the Fuss-Jonna one, mainly because everything she said about Ronja was simply not true. However, the way his funeral was delivered was pathetic. We really didn’t need an endless monologue talking about how great he was, but showing Ferah approaching the pyre and telling him how much she loved him, how much she was going to miss him, and maybe even screaming at him, telling him what a fool he was for placing her before his own safety, that would have been ok. Cliché, but ok.
The puppy thing disgusts me a lot. I have disliked Ronja’s pregnancy plotline ever since it started, mainly because I’ve read very few books where a pregnancy was relevant, and where the delivered offspring did anything other than ruin the plot by stealing the attention from it to focus on an ultimately useless character. This is no exception and we’re already starting to see how badly it is affecting the plot. While Lifa’s pregnancy was relevant to a certain point (back in Asmundr), this was not. It’s nothing but fanfiction inside fiction, a Sims 2 game.
I don’t even have words about the readers, more concerned about how cute the “puppiez” are than the story itself. To be honest, I have plenty of words, none I can say in public. Back when Kargo told Roamer the story about how he was forced to mount a female, the fanbase in the comment section were wondering whether she had gotten pregnant and what the puppies looked like. That was… sickening. While I admit that they might not be the same people, I can’t help but feel a certain churning in my stomach seeing readers more interested in the pups than the fact this story is a trainwreck of epic proportions. Kargo is dead, burning in a pyre, and your comment is; “OOOH!!! PUPPIEZ ARE COMING!!!!!!! CAN’T WAIT TO SEE PUPPIEZ” really?
I just wanted a panel or two, or maybe an entire page at most to remember one of the earliest and most important main characters in the story. It would have been fitting to just have Ferah, Roamer, and Rogio say something brief about him. Then maybe have Ferah say a tearful goodbye, then break down during the funeral and run off.
You hit the nail on the head when it comes to fans and puppies in Home/Asmundr. I don’t know why people are so excited to see puppies and will ship any male or female just to have them mate and procreate. The attitude of some fans is just disturbing and no one thinks about the implications of what they want to see. Kargo was forced to mount a female. Never mind the emotional trauma on both ends, it’s just puppies, puppies, puppies. A main character just died? Who cares because yay puppies. Whenever Home ends, this is one aspect about the community I won’t miss. And if Kique does another comic, count me out.